When eating out, always choose the smallest portion size available. When we choose larger meals, most of us tend to eat past the point of hunger and in doing so consume more kilojoules than we need which contributes to weight gain.

Remember that if you are still hungry after choosing a smaller meal, you can always fill up with something else and enjoy a wider variety of tastes in the process.

Weight loss Tip 2 – Chips or Fries

If we absolutely must eat chips, opting for straight-cut and fatter chips instead of crinkle-cut and thin chips will help minimize fat intake. Straight-cut and fat chips have less surface area than crinkle-cut and thin chips so hold less fat. Extra fat equals extra taste, but if we want to lose weight we have to make some sacrifices! Try our Healthy Rosemary Potatoes to staisfy your chip craving.

Weight loss Tip 3 – Water

Try drinking a glass of water before a meal.

If you tend to overeat at certain meal times (like dinner for example), try drinking a medium to large glass of water 10 to 15 minutes before you sit down to that meal.

Drinking water before your meal will partially fill your stomach and may reduce your hunger levels, because often when we think we are feeling hunger, our body is actually telling us that it is getting dehydrated and needs some water.

Weight loss Tip 4 – Alcohol

Offer to be the “designated driver” more often.

If you go out for dinner and drinks with family and friends, offering to be the designated driver will save you hundreds of kilojoules because you can’t drink as much alcohol.

In addition to drinking fewer kilojoules, you’ll probably eat less as well because alcohol often makes us “let our guard down” and eat when we are no longer hungry.

Weight loss Tip 5 – Sweets or Chocolate

If you often find yourself reaching for chocolate or lollies in between meals, try eating a handful or two of mixed, unsalted nuts instead. For best results, mix your own and include nuts that you don’t necessarily eat on their own. Eating mixed nuts together means you won’t even notice the ones you don’t normally eat.

Although some nuts are relatively high in fat, the fat they contain is good fat that our body needs to stay healthy. And because they are so filling, you will probably end up consuming far less total calories than if you ate a less healthy alternative.

Weight loss Tip 6 – Habits

Try to break unhealthy food associations.

Many of us get into the habit of enjoying unhealthy food and drink while we’re doing everyday things like watching our favourite TV shows, visiting cinemas, going to our favourite club, etc.

Every time you go to the movies do you habitually order a large popcorn, ice-cream, large coke, bag of lollies or chocolates before sitting down? Or can you watch your favourite soap opera without a cup of coffee or tea and a few chocolate biscuits?

If the answer is yes and no respectively, you could have some unhealthy food associations that could be making you heavier or preventing you from losing weight.

Weight loss Tip 7 – Riding in the Wind

If you often fail to go on planned bicycle rides because it’s too windy, reconsider.

If it’s windy outside, it does make it harder to ride our bikes, particularly heading directly into a strong wind. But for those of us who want to lose weight, this is actually a good thing because the harder we are forced to work, the more calories we’ll burn each minute!

Just be sure not to try to maintain the same speed you were doing with the wind when you’re against it, you may get your heart rate a bit higher than is absolutely necessary.

Just slow down a little and enjoy the ride (as best you can under the circumstances!).

Weight loss Tip 8 – Water

Get into the habit of carrying a bottle of water with you wherever you go.

Keeping water handy will help keep you sufficiently hydrated and will help stop you reaching for the closest thing available when you inevitably become thirsty, such as carbonated drinks full of sugar or coffee, which actually causes further dehydration.

It’s a well documented fact that many of us often mistake hunger for thirst and actually eat unnecessary calories when we are actually thirsty. When we are well hydrated, we’re also less likely to overeat when we do sit down at the table.

Weight loss Tip 9 – Weekend

If you’re a weekend food binger, plan ahead to make sure you have plenty of healthier snacking options in the house.

For example, pre-prepare some air-popped popcorn, mix up a blend of your favourite unsalted nuts, have some low fat yogurts ready to go in the fridge and try adding a dash of cordial to carbonated mineral water instead of drinking high sugar colas, etc.

Weight loss Tip 10 – Restaurant Menus

Opt for lighter choices once in a while at restaurants.

Many restaurants have lighter options on their menus these days, some have low-fat options and some have even jumped on the low-carb band wagon and offer low-carb options.

Whenever you’re sitting in a restaurant looking through the menu, ask yourself if a lighter option would be a better choice. Where possible choose steamed, poached, boiled or baked foods rather than those that have been fried or deep fried.

Weight loss Tip 11 – Fat Sugar and Salt

Try to reduce the Fat, Sugar and Salt in your diet.

Diets high in fat and sugar are typically also very high in kilojoules or calories which when combined with low levels of exercise or activity can contribute greatly to us being overweight.

In addition, excessive levels of fat, sugar and salt in our diets have been shown to contribute to a variety of serious health conditions.

Foods that are ‘low in fat’ have 3g or less fat per 100g. Drinks low in fat have 1.5ml or less per 100ml.

Foods ‘low in sugar’ have 5g or less per 100g and drinks low in sugar have 2.5g or less per 100ml.

Foods ‘low in salt’ have 120mg or less per 100g.

While all the foods we eat won’t have levels of fat, sugar and salt as low as this, these measures can be useful when we are comparing food options.

Weight loss Tip 12 – Workout buddy

Join a gym or hire a personal trainer with a friend. Joining a gym or hiring a personal trainer with a friend has many advantages.

Foremost among these advantages are that you’ll have a workout buddy, who can keep you motivated and keep you company while you get used to the gym environment and exercising regularly, and you’ll save money because most gyms and personal trainers offer discounts when you join or train with a friend.

Just be careful to make sure that both of you are as committed to exercise as each other and be prepared for the time when your workout buddy isn’t able, or doesn’t want to, workout any more or as regularly as you do.

Hopefully by the time this happens (if it happens at all), you’ll have made new friends at the gym or enjoy exercising so much that you are motivated and happy enough to do it on your own or find a new workout buddy.

Weight loss Tip 13 – Challange Yourself

Participate in a weight loss challenge.

Getting yourself a diet buddy or buddies and setting yourself a 12 week weight loss goal is a great way to lose weight.

Losing weight when you’ve got someone else to compete against will give you extra motivation and help you to stay on track.

The members of the Weightloss Forum currently have such challenges which you can participate in simply by registering as a member of the forum, which is totally free.

Weight loss Tip 14 – Walk for 30 mins

Walk for a ½ hour instead of watching TV.

Some people believe that watching TV is a great way to wind-down after a hard day and doing exercise is often the last thing on their minds.

But going for a half-hour or hours walk instead of plonking down in front of the TV can help you de-stress, clear your mind and set you up for a relaxing evening and a great night’s sleep.

You can make the walk even better if you take your partner, children or dog with you.

Weight loss Tip 15 – Share With a Friend

Share an entree or dessert with a friend.

Many of us put on weight because we make careless or unconscious eating decisions, like automatically ordering an entree or dessert while at a restaurant.

Most restaurants main meals are already too big and as well as eating them, many of us eat entrees and/or desserts as well.

If this sounds like you, start sharing your entree or dessert with a friend and your waist-line will thank you.